If you have teenagers at home, there’s a change you’ll want to mark on your calendar.
Beginning March 19, the City of Virginia Beach will enforce a new curfew for unaccompanied minors under 18. Instead of 11 p.m., the curfew will now begin at 10 p.m. and run until 5 a.m.
The Virginia Beach City Council approved the ordinance as what leaders describe as a preventative step. The goal, they say, is simple: reduce late-night incidents involving minors, cut down on crime, and encourage more responsible behavior.
This isn’t a blanket ban keeping teens indoors. There are several exceptions written into the ordinance.
Minors are allowed out past 10 p.m. if they are:
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Running an emergency errand reasonably necessary to safeguard life, limb, or property
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Traveling directly to or from lawful employment
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Attending a specified event, religious service, or participating in a First Amendment-protected assembly — provided they have written permission from a parent or guardian and go straight home afterward
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Traveling through the city as part of interstate travel
If a minor is found out past curfew without meeting one of those exceptions, the city has designated several facilities as pickup locations. A parent or responsible adult will be required to pick them up.
Violating the ordinance could result in a Class 4 misdemeanor.
City officials describe the measure as part of an effort to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere, especially in high-traffic areas like the Oceanfront where crowds tend to gather after dark.
For parents, this likely means a few more conversations at the dinner table — and perhaps stricter weekend check-in times. For teens, it means heading home an hour earlier.
As March 19 approaches, city leaders say the focus will be on awareness and compliance rather than punishment. Whether the earlier curfew leads to measurable changes in late-night incidents remains to be seen.
We’ll continue tracking how the policy is enforced and whether it delivers the results city leaders are promising.